Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden areaJerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
Firefighters saved a woman’s pets that she feared were trapped inside a house fire early Tuesday morning in south Fort Myers. A fire broke out in the garage of Mary Stoia’s Case del Lago home on Axis Deer Lane at around 5:15 a.m. She could grab her two dogs before running outside with the other two people living there. Stoia could not grab her cat Johnny or two birds before escaping the house. “It was… You know, like, how could you be so stupid to leave them in the house?” said Stoia. It’s hard to grab everything, every bird, cat, and dog when you wake up to a house on fire. “I woke up to my bedroom window blowing out. Oh, my God. And then my friend came down the other end of the house going, ‘Mary, get up, get up. The house is on fire. There’s a fire,'” Stoia said. “I don’t have shoes. I didn’t grab a bathrobe, I just put the leashes on my dogs because they’re not street smart.” The smarts are with the cat Johnny Guitar. “I was always bringing kittens home as a child. And I would tell my mother, ‘they followed me home.’ So when I picked him up, I said, ‘eh, Johnny Guitar was her favorite movie. That’s what I’m going to name you,'” said Stoia. Johnny Guitar, the cat, leads a much different life than the movie character. Once firefighters scooped him out from under a bed, his new favorite spot to rest was right in their arms. “The firefighter says once they were able to actually secure him, he settled right in, and they were able to walk around with him and bring him outside,” said Amy Bollen, with the South Trail Fire Department. South Trail firefighter rescues Johnny the cat from a house fire in south Fort Myers, Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Credit: South Trail Fire Department The cat was brought to safety and to his mom, who has a long way to go to make her house home again. “I’ll survive. That’s about it,” Stoia said. The animals make Stoia’s home whole, but after a fire started in her garage Tuesday morning, she feared there’d be a hole in her home and heart. “I still think one’s not going to make it. Between the smoke inhalation and just being a nervous wreck. I don’t think he is going to make it,” said Stoia. WINK News was in south Fort Myers Tuesday morning, moments after Stoia escaped from her house. She had time to leash up her dogs and yell for the cat but couldn’t get to her birds. The firefighters on the scene grabbed Pumpkin and Pretty Girl’s cage and wheeled it out to mary… Gail: “Is Pretty Girl the one…” Stoia: “No. Wish she was. It’s Pumpkin.” Gail: “Why do you say that about Pretty Girl!” Mary: “She’s a slob. She’s a pig. She throws her seeds all over. Oh, man. I know. You’re gonna be stuck with him for a while. Yeah. And she’s vicious. He’s not. He’s a gentle little bird.” Even though Stoia would charge Pretty Girl rent if she could, she still loves the bird and is happy firefighters came to the rescue. “Just thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Stoia, whose life is whole despite the fire that ruined her home. Stoia’s birds and dogs are with one of her neighbors. She said Johnny Guitar is staying with one of her friends. One person from the home reported minor injuries and was treated at the scene by firefighters. The Red Cross was called to assist. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.